The GHOST E-RIOT EN Full Party promises to put you in a party mood on demanding trails and in rough terrain! Ski pro Tobi Müller took this marketing promise to heart and raced his GHOST along the trails of Verbier over the course of two race days. We took a closer look at his weapon of choice.
Ski pro and Olympic athlete Tobi Müller hasn’t just discovered that an eMTBs makes an ideal summer training device but also started enjoying demanding trails for their own sake. We caught up with the seven-time Telemark World Champion and current ski cross rider at the end of day one of the 2023 E-Tour du Mont Blanc to take a closer look at his GHOST E-RIOT EN Full Party.
Tobi Müller – A ski pro who’s caught the eMTB bug
Together with Dutch mountain bike pro, Jeroen van Eck, this is Tobi’s second go at the Tour du Mont Blanc. He knew he would suffer on the long uphill stages, but he couldn’t have dreamt in his worst nightmares that 2023 would be so hard. But more on that later.
The bike – Stock standard or not?
The GHOST E-RIOT EN Full Party comes with the powerful Bosch Performance Line CX Race motor as standard.
The Bosch LED Remote displays the current battery level, as well as the support mode. Like almost all riders, Tobi was in RACE mode all day long!
The FOX Factory suspension is standard too. Because of the very long descents, Tobi replaced the standard 200 mm brake rotor on the front with a 220 mm version.
Tire change
In addition to a larger brake rotor up front, Tobi upgraded his bike with new tires, opting for a thicker casing (Doubledown) and a softer rubber compound for more puncture resistance and grip. He also fitted tire inserts.
2.5″ MAXXIS ASSEGAI, 3C MaxxGrip, Doubledown, inflated to 23 psi.
2.5″ MAXXIS Minion DHR II, 3C MaxxGrip, Doubledown, inflated to 26 psi.
Check out our mountain bike tire group test for everything you need to know about MAXXIS tires, and our recommendations.
You can read all about the advantages and disadvantages of tire inserts in the tire inserts group test conducted by our sister magazine ENDURO.
The race – Tour du Mont Blanc
The E-Tour du Mont Blanc was held as part of the Verbier E-Bike Festival for the fifth time. It’s a two-day race, with last year’s route spanning 140 km with more than 9,000 metres of climbing and almost 11,000 metres of descending. There were 23 teams in the men’s race and 7 teams in the women’s race. The riders, consisting of a few amateurs, many pros, ex-professionals, and even reigning UCI World Champions, took on the challenge in teams of two. The clock only stops once both riders cross the finish line, so teamwork was a must.
Preparing for this two-day race proved rather difficult for Tobi, as he follows a strict ski-specific training program. Nevertheless, he tried to ride his home trails in Innsbruck as often as possible. To him, the technical climbs are the best yet also the most challenging part about eMTBing. He was also the heaviest rider in the field by far, so he had to work harder on the climbs than his lighter competitors.
Tobi and his teammate Jeroen Van Eck from the Netherlands before the start of race day two.
Tobi had to give his teammate an exhausting push on the first day of the race on the last climbing stage because he had broken off two teeth of his chainring and was dependent on Tobi for support.
Things got even tougher on the second day of the race. On the final climbing stage (1,323 metres in altitude), most of the ebike motors couldn’t provide full power anymore… So, the riders had to get their rather heavy eMTBs up the climbs without or with very little support. The motors weren’t to blame, though. The reason for this was surprisingly simple: the charging zone was unshaded, and the batteries sat in the blazing sun.
Tobi’s conclusion on the Tour du Mont Blanc
The whole race is just awesome. I had a lot of fun in both editions, even though I had to suffer for two years in a row. The trails are amazing, the views are breathtaking, and the downhills are a load of fun.
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Words & Photos: Manne Schmitt
